Mesa PD targets impaired drivers on Labor Day

MESA, AZ - Anyone coming back from the Salt River Monday ran into a massive DUI checkpoint set up by the Mesa Police Department. Dozens of officers lined the roads to catch anyone who had been drinking at the river or was under the influence of other substances.

The sobriety checkpoint was up between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Power road. During that time, officers stopped well over 1,000 vehicles, and arrested and ticketed approximately 20 drivers. A majority of the drivers were in their 20s.

Mesa Police operated the checkpoint as part of the East Valley Labor Day DUI Task Force and also in conjunction with a large-scale effort to curb impaired driving through the Arizona Governor's Office of Highway Safety.

Mother of three and Arizona Director for Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), Jessica Smith was bothered that so many arrests and tickets were handed out. She believed most people should have known about the annual Labor Day check point.

“It is comforting to know they are removing [drunk drivers] from our roadways, but in another way it's frustrating, because it is a simple message: If you're going to be drinking, don't drive.

Smith does not buy into the belief that the checkpoints are simply a plan for the state and cities to make money off of drivers.

"You read the different blogs where people say that this is only a moneymaker for the state; what costs the state money is cleaning up all of these accidents,” Smith said. “It has cost Arizona millions annually."